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Biographical Information

eResources for Finding Articles & More

Subject indexes such as MLA, Historical Abstracts, PsycINFO can be used to find citations to biographical information found in newspapers, journals and books.

SIMPLE SEARCH TIP:Type subject's name and biographies or biography. For example: george washington and biographies OR george washington and biography

The following are specialized resources that only index biographical material located in books and magazines.

Index to biographical sketches found in current and retrospective biographical dictionaries.

At the main LexisNexis page choose "People" for short full text bio's on politicians, business executives & etc.

Use MLA International Bibliography for citations to the monthly periodical Biography, which is a good source for contemporary biographies. Issues are shelved in the Current and Bound Periodical collection. Bound volumes contain an index.

Books & Library Materials

Searching the Library Catalog

Suggested SUBJECT searches

  • "Last name followed by first name or initial" of the person you are researching
  • "biography"
  • "biographical films"
  • "genealogy"
  • "portraits"

Suggested KEYWORD searches

  • To do the broadest possible search to find items by and about the person, do a KEYWORD search with the word near between the first and last names.
  • "biography and dictionaries and artists" - will give you sources with biographical information for the broad group of "artists".
  • "biography and authors and american" - source with information on american authors
  • "biography and france and 19th century" - biographies about the 19th century French.
  • "encyclopedias and your chosen subject area" - For example: encyclopedias and art
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Sue Cody